Foodstock NJ
Peace : Love : Food
JOIN US
Foodstock is our annual food drive / music festival held in our home town, Freehold, New Jersey. Come to the event with non-perishable food donations and get rewarded with a picnic-style dinner with free food and drinks.
You, along with any families or friends who help, are welcomed to come to the Party!
Foodstock 2024
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Time: 1pm to 6pm
Location: Freehold Township Fire Company #1, 330 Stillwells Corner Road, Freehold, NJ 07728
Musical Acts: Awesome bands to be announced!
History of Foodstock
Foodstock originated in Freehold, NJ, in 2009 when Maura Swisher needed a Senior project for St. John Vianney High School. The Swishers had a long history of volunteering at a local food pantry and they organized a neighborhood food drive to collect 2,000 pounds of food to stock the pantry’s empty shelves.
The initial implementation, called “A Ton of Fun”, had live music and a carnival theme with activities and games of chance. After tripling their goal that first year, the family decided to make it an annual Fall tradition but remove the weight goal from the name.
The name “Foodstock” and “Peace, Love and Food” branding was adopted in homage to the famous 1969 music festival near Woodstock, New York, billed as “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music”.
Culture of Foodstock
The Woodstock-esk theme “Peace, Love and Food” is emphasized with tie-dye branding on signs, banners and a huge step-and-repeat, as well as very popular tie-dye t-shirts sold at the event. The entire event is planned and run by a small army of volunteers who do everything from weighing donations to flipping burgers to live entertainment. A number of bands perform music ranging from classic rock to danceable pop.
What started as a backyard private event with a free, open bar (primarily beer, wine and sangria) has evolved to meet regulations for public spaces. The liquor is still technically free, but attendees must purchase a wristband, after providing proof of drinking age, which also includes a free beer or wine glass.
The culture of the event is the epitome of the organization’s mission statement “to facilitate the movement of food from those who have been abundantly blessed to those who are in need, and to inspire future generations to do the same.”